TEHRAN –Attending exhibitions on agriculture, grains, dairy, livestock, and poultry in Kenya, Iranian knowledge-based companies looked for new opportunities in the African continent.

According to the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, fostering cooperation with African countries to benefit from extraterritorial agricultural opportunities in the continent, and create opportunities to introduce knowledge-based companies to an international arena is one of the strategic policies of the country.

Supported by the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, a total of 16 Iranian knowledge-based companies took part in three following technical exhibitions: the 9th edition of the Agritec Africa International Exhibition, the 7th international exhibition on Dairy, livestock, and poultry, as well as the 4th Graintech Africa exhibition.

The exhibitions provided Iranian knowledge-based companies the opportunity to showcase their latest achievements and findings in different sectors including seeds, fertilizers, poisons, the food industry, drones, machinery, tea, and husbandry.  

Visitors, who were mainly from African countries, India, and China, highly welcomed Iranian knowledge-based products, particularly agricultural machinery, drones, corn seed, cow embryo technology, and tea. 

Iranian and Kenyan officials held more than ten meetings outside the exhibition space with the aim of visiting Keya’s infrastructure conducting field investigations to assess joint investment or technology transfer, and engaging in business negotiation to develop a roadmap for boosting cooperation.  

Joint agricultural cooperation committee

Iran and Africa established a joint agricultural cooperation committee during the 2nd Iran-Africa International Summit in Tehran, held from April 26 to 29.

The committee was launched with the participation of the representatives of the Water and Soil Deputy Office of Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The representatives and managers of various sectors presented Iran’s capacities and capabilities at the request of the trade ministers of Niger and Central Africa.

Then, the adviser to Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, Fariborz Abbasi, and the project commissioner for the development of modern irrigation systems submitted a comprehensive report regarding the experiences of both public and private sectors in the fields of water and irrigation.

Also, Iran’s capabilities in various fields of sustainable soil management especially soil science studies (pedology) and the provision of manageable maps, production and export of fertilizers, and biological soil modifiers were introduced, according to Mehr news agency.

Iran also expressed its readiness to participate in the African countries and cooperate in the field of implementation of water and soil projects.

The significant and fast-paced growth in the number of knowledge-based companies with over 200 percent increase in their number just over the past year (March 2023 – March 2024), shows the solid foundation, dynamism, and growth of the country in innovation and technology and the productive atmosphere which have been made available to boost domestic production with public participation.

IHIT in Africa

In January 2021, Iran opened its house of innovation and technology in Kenya and the first center in Africa.

The center serves as a base for the creation of innovative ideas, the commercialization of these ideas, and the export of Iranian knowledge-based products and services to the East African market.

Exporting technological products of Iranian knowledge-based companies is one of the important and key programs of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, and in this regard over the past years, with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the Iranian houses of innovation have been set up in several countries to develop the global market for knowledge-based products.

These centers have already been set up in countries such as Russia, Turkey, China, Syria, Kenya, Armenia, Iraq, and Uzbekistan.

By supporting innovative ideas, and holding technological and innovative events, the centers will be a platform for the development and promotion of Iranian knowledge-based companies, startups, and creative industries.

MT/MG